Visually Distinctive Tarpaulins And Kits Thereof

ABSTRACT

A tarpaulin kit is provided and includes a receptacle and a plurality of sheets of material, each sheet of a sufficient size to cover a standard-sized area, each sheet of material within the kit comprising a flexible material marked with a distinctive marking and color combination identifying a particular standard-sized area. A display element displays the plurality of sheets of material enabling a purchaser or user to customize a particular set of sheets of material.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 to U.S.Provisional Patent Application No. 62/735,279, filed Sep. 24, 2018.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

A system, kit, and method for customizing kits of variously sizedtarpaulins for protective us during painting, construction, or otherprocesses.

BACKGROUND

A painter or construction worker seeking to protect a floor, stairway,or other surface area from damage or paint is best served by choosing atarpaulin (“tarp”) or drop cloth of dimensions most closely matching thesurface area to be protected.

Currently available tarpaulins are available in a variety of sizes. Forinstance, a selection of the most common sizes is 12′×15′, 9′×12′,4′×12′, 4′×15′, 6′×9′, 4′×5′, and 6′×8′. However, there remains aproblem in conveniently and accurately selecting and identifyingproperly sized tarps to use in a particular work project, especiallythose involving multiple areas of various sizes.

An improved system for providing and selecting a suitably sized or anassortment of suitably sized tarpaulin(s) is needed.

SUMMARY

Certain deficiencies of the prior art may be overcome by the provisionof one or more embodiments of a customizable kit of multi-sizedtarpaulins and a point of sale or use display system.

These and other advantages, aspects, and novel features of the claimedinvention, as well as details of illustrative aspects thereof, will bemore fully understood from the following description and figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A more complete understanding of the present invention may be derived byreferring to the detailed description when considered in connection withthe accompanying illustrative figures. In the figures, like referencenumbers refer to like elements or acts throughout the figures.

FIG. 1 depicts a table illustrating how distinctive markings and colorsmay be assigned to distinguish particular sized tarps.

FIG. 2 depicts truncated top views of sheets of material marked withdistinctive graphical designs.

FIG. 3 depicts a front perspective view of one embodiment of a displayof the members of a set of variously-sized tarps.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENT(S)

Aspects and applications of the invention presented here are describedbelow in the drawings and detailed description of the invention. Theterminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particularembodiments and is not intended to be limiting of the inventiveconcepts. Unless specifically noted, it is intended that the words andphrases in the specification and the claims have their plain, ordinary,and accustomed meaning to those of ordinary skill in the applicablearts. The inventor expressly elects, as the lexicographer choosinglanguage to describe the invention described and claimed herein, to useonly the plain and ordinary meaning of terms in the specification andclaims unless the specification clearly states otherwise and thenfurther, expressly sets forth the “special” definition of that term andexplains how it differs from the plain and ordinary meaning Absent suchclear statements of intent to apply a “special” definition, it is theinventor's intent and desire that the simple, plain and ordinary meaningto the terms be applied to the interpretation of the specification andclaims.

The inventor is also aware of the normal precepts of English grammar.Thus, if a noun, term, or phrase is intended to be furthercharacterized, specified, or narrowed in some way, then such noun, term,or phrase will expressly include additional adjectives, descriptiveterms, or other modifiers in accordance with the normal precepts ofEnglish grammar. Absent the use of such adjectives, descriptive terms,or modifiers, it is the intent that such nouns, terms, or phrases begiven their plain, and ordinary English meaning to those skilled in theapplicable arts as set forth above.

Further, the inventor is fully informed of the standards and applicationof the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, 6. Thus, the use of thewords “function,” “means” or “step” in the Detailed Description orDescription of the Drawings or claims is not intended to somehowindicate a desire to invoke the special provisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112,6, to define the invention. To the contrary, if the provisions of 35U.S.C. § 112, 6 are sought to be invoked to define the inventions, theclaims will specifically and expressly state the exact phrases “meansfor” or “step for, and will also recite the word “function” (i.e., willstate “means for performing the function of [insert function]”), withoutalso reciting in such phrases any structure, material or act in supportof the function. Thus, even when the claims recite a “means forperforming the function of . . . ” or “step for performing the functionof . . . ,” if the claims also recite any structure, material or acts insupport of that means or step, or that perform the recited function,then it is the clear intention of the inventor not to invoke theprovisions of 35 U.S.C. § 112, 6. Moreover, even if the provisions of 35U.S.C. § 112, 6 are invoked to define the claimed inventions, it isintended that the inventions not be limited only to the specificstructure, material or acts that are described in the preferredembodiments, but in addition, include any and all structures, materialsor acts that perform the claimed function as described in alternativeembodiments or forms of the invention, or that are well known present orlater-developed, equivalent structures, material or acts for performingthe claimed function.

Referring now to the drawings, like reference numerals designateidentical or corresponding features throughout the several views.Embodiments of a customizable, tarpaulin kit may include at least two ofa tarpaulin element. The tarpaulin kit may contain a multiplicity of thesame sized tarp or a plurality of variously sized tarps. The set oftarps in any particular kit is either predetermined by the vendor or iscustomizable by the purchaser at a point of sale or use from a displayelement 202.

A tarpaulin kit includes a receptacle (not illustrated); and a pluralityof sheets of material, each sheet of a sufficient size to cover astandard-sized area, each sheet of material within the kit comprising aflexible material marked with a distinctive marking and colorcombination 102(a-e) identifying a particular standard-sized area. A kitof tarps is customizable with regard to the particular sizes of tarpscontained therein. Each sheet of material is of a sufficient size tocover a standard-sized area. One embodiment of a set of tarp sizes hastarp dimensions selected from the group consisting of approximately12′×15′, 9′×12′, 4′×12′, 4′×15′, 6′×9′, 4′×5′, and 6′×8′. The tarpaulinkit contains tarps which are preferably polygonal, or may be circularand/or elliptical in shape. The flexible material includes paper,cotton, canvas, synthetic polymer, tarpaulin, or some combinationthereof.

Each sheet of material includes a graphic design and a color on at leastone of a first surface or a second surface, the combination of graphicdesign and color 102(a-e) distinctively identifying a particularstandard-sized area.

Each sheet of material is secured within a packaging element ofsubstantial transparency through which the graphic design and colorcombination is viewable by a human eye or a machine sensor from aposition outward of the packaging element.

The receptacle includes a container for storing the plurality of sheetsof material. The receptacle includes a resealable container.

The packaging element containing an individual sheet of material issuitable for display in a retail environment or in a work environmentfrom a display element 202.

Each tarpaulin kit pre-assembled by a vendor contains a plurality ofdifferent colored-coded and/or marked tarpaulins of various sizes.Preferred kits include several sheets of pre-packaged tarpaulins ofvarious sizes, e.g., 12′×15′, 9′×12′, 4′×12′, 4′×15′, 6′×9′, 4′×5′, and6′×8′. These dimensions are for purposes of example only and anyindividual tarp may range from approximately 2-12 feet in width and fromapproximately 6-20 feet in length. The various sizes of tarps areselected to correspond to standard-sized rooms or to other areas such asfoyers, corridors, and staircases as are known to those of skill in theart. The tarps are generally polygonal to correspond to the shape of aroom floor or other surface area which a painter or other user wishes toprotect from damage or disfigurement. Tarps may also be generallycircular or elliptical for use for draping over a table, appliance, orother raised surface.

Alternatively, in another embodiment, the kits can be customizable bypurchasers at a point of purchase or at a work preparation site byselecting a set of variously-sized tarps that is specific to theparticular painting or construction project. The selection of aparticular set may be determined by the total number and areas of anentire job regardless of the length of time the job will require, or theselection may be determined by the number and areas expected to beworked on in a particular unit of time (i.e., a day).

The color-coded sections, for example, may be organized as shown inFIG. 1. FIG. 1 is one embodiment of markings and colors that areassigned to the members of a set of variously sized tarps. The digits1-8 refer to markings and the letters A-H refer to colors. The markingsare chosen to be recognizably distinct from one another. The markingsmay be alpha numeric, graphical, other symbols, and combinationsthereof. The colors are chosen to be recognizably distinct from oneanother. Additionally, the markings are sized and applied so as to bevisible at a convenient distance both as packaged before selection andwhen deployed in use.

FIG. 2 illustrates embodiments of a series of tarps (shown truncated),each displaying a distinctive marking. Each marking is understood to beprinted or stitched in a distinctive color. For instance, 1/A may beblue “XXXs”, 2/B may be green “▴▴▴s”, 3/C may be red “OOOs”.

The markings and colors are consistently assigned to a particular sizedtarp, i.e., the color “blue” and a tarp marking of “XXX . . . ” isconsistently associated with a 12′×15′ tarp; the color “green” and atarp marking of “▴▴▴ . . . ” is consistently associated with a 4′×12′tarp, and a tarp marking of red “OOOs” is consistently associated with a15′×20′ tarp. The association of a particular marking and colorcombination with a particular sized tarp is made by thevendor/manufacturer and is consistently maintained.

The tarpaulins are constructed of materials familiar to those of skillin the art. The tarps are included of a flexible material. Typicalmaterials are paper, cotton, canvas of various weights and surfacetreatments (e.g., surface grip texture, spill block), of syntheticpolymer (butyl, polypropylene, etc.), tarpaulin, or some combinationthereof. The tarp may be composed of a single layer or of multiplelayers. A tarpaulin is traditionally understood to refer to a canvas orother material with a protective or waterproofed covering of tar, paint,or wax. However, it is understood that the claimed invention furtherincludes tarps made of any flexible material that can be configured withselected markings and coloring as described herein.

A system for displaying kits of multi-sized tarps within a retail orwork environment may include a plurality of variously sized tarps, amultiplicity of each sized tarp, and a display element 202. The displayelement 202 presents the plurality of standard sized sheets, the displayelement presenting a designated space for a multiplicity of eachstandard size. The display element 202 has a view point extendingoutwardly toward an access point 206 adjacent to the display element.The display element 202 includes a signage portion 204 to indicate theidentity of each designated space for a multiplicity of each standardsize sheet of material. The signage portion 204 may advantageouslydisplay the marking and color combination as well as the dimensions ofthe sheet of material displayed in a particular designated space.

The foregoing illustrates some of the possibilities for practicing theinvention. Many other embodiments are possible within the scope andspirit of the invention. It is, therefore, intended that the foregoingdescription be regarded as illustrative rather than limiting, and thatthe scope of the invention is given by the appended claims together withtheir full range of equivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A tarpaulin kit comprising: a receptacle; and aplurality of sheets of material, each sheet of a sufficient size tocover a standard-sized area, each sheet of material within the kitcomprising a flexible material marked with a distinctive marking andcolor combination identifying a particular standard-sized area.
 2. Thetarpaulin kit according to claim 1, wherein each sheet of material is ofa sufficient size to cover a standard-sized area and having dimensionsselected from the group consisting of approximately 12′×15′, 9′×12′,4′×12′, 4′×15′, 6′×9′, 4′×5′, and 6′×8′.
 3. The tarpaulin kit accordingto claim 1 wherein the area of each sheet of material is polygonal,circular, or elliptical in shape.
 4. The tarpaulin kit according toclaim 1, wherein the flexible material comprises paper, cotton, canvas,synthetic polymer, tarpaulin, or some combination thereof.
 5. Thetarpaulin kit according to claim 1, wherein each sheet of materialincludes a graphic design and a color on at least one of a first surfaceor a second surface, the graphic design and color distinctivelyidentifying a particular standard-sized area.
 6. The tarpaulin kitaccording to claim 5 wherein each sheet of material is secured within apackaging element of substantial transparency through which the graphicdesign and color is viewable by a human eye or a machine sensor from aposition outward of the packaging element.
 7. The tarpaulin kitaccording to claim 1 wherein the receptacle comprises a container forstoring the plurality of sheets of material.
 8. The tarpaulin kitaccording to claim 7 wherein the receptacle comprises a resealablecontainer.
 9. The tarpaulin kit according to claim 6 wherein thepackaging element is suitable for display in a retail environment orwork environment.
 10. A system for displaying tarpaulin kits in a retailenvironment or in a work environment, the system comprising: a. Aplurality of sheets of material in various standard sizes; b. Amultiplicity of each sheet of material of each standard size; and c. Adisplay element presenting the plurality of standard size sheets, thedisplay element presenting a designated space for a multiplicity of eachstandard size; the display element having a view point extendingoutwardly toward an access point adjacent to said display element. 11.The system for displaying tarpaulin kits according to claim 10, whereinthe display element includes a signage portion to indicate the identityof each designated space for a multiplicity of each standard size sheetof material.